614 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



right horn and is covered by a similar exudate. There is no enlargement of 

 either oviduct and no apparent alteration of either ovary. 



Unfortunately, cultural examination was not made of the uterine exudate 

 in this case. Microscopic examination of smears from the uterus demon- 

 strated a streptococcus and a small short rod. The former apparently pre- 

 dominating. 



Histological Examination : In places the epithelium of the cervical mucosa 

 show but slight changes. In others there is marked disintegration of the 

 epithehum, -with necrosis, where there is a granular exudate adherent in 

 places to the surface and a leucocytic infiltration of the sub-epithelial tissue, 

 lymphocytes apparently predominating. In some of the capillaries and other 

 small vessels is seen varying amounts of fibrin. In some of the vessels the 

 amount of fibrin is small, in others their contents have somewhat the ap- 

 pearance of a thrombus. 



The mucosa of the uterine body and right horn varies from two to three 

 mm. in depth except in places where the superficial necrotic process has ex- 

 tended to a depth of six-tenths to one mm. from the muscularis producing 

 ulcer like areas. There is a general superficial necrosis of the mucosa averag- 

 ing about eight-tenths mm. in depth. There are but few leucocytes in the 

 necrotic zone. There is a distinct but not marked leucocytic infiltration of 

 the stroma below the necrotic zone, lymphocytes predominating. In many of 

 the small vessels of the mucosa masses of fibrin containing varying quan- 

 tities of red blood cells, and leucocytes are seen, which in places almost 

 completely fill the lumen. The condition of the uterine glands varies. 

 In places they are apparently normal, in others there is disintegration of the 

 epithehum with leucocytic infiltration of the gland lumen. The alterations 

 of the mucosa of the left horn are similar to those of the right. 



There is not as marked a leucocytic infiltration of the mucosa in this case 

 as is seen in the others of this series. Whether this indicates a lack of re- 

 sistance or. is due to the drain on the hemopoietic organs by the respiratory 

 system and udder is an interesting speculation. 



SUMMARY 



In three cases out of the four studied a superficial more or less general 

 necrosis of the mucosa with leucocytic infiltration and fibrosis of the super- 

 ficial portions of the stroma were. observed. The necrotic zone varied in 

 depth from fifty microns to eight-tenths of a mm. and in places producing 

 many minute ulcers extending more deeply into the uterine mucosa. Both the 

 gland mucosa and the region of the cotyledons were involved in the necrotic 

 process. The glandular changes as a whole were not marked although in 

 places there was degenerative and disintegrative changes in the glandular 

 epithelium with leucocytic infiltration of the gland luminae. In one of these 

 cases, numerous thrombi were seen in the small blood vessels of the mucosa 

 more or less completely plugging them. The lesions observed in these cases 

 bear considerable resemblance to those caused by the injection of concen- 

 trated preparations of iodine into the uterine cavity. There is this important 

 difference, however, in the latter case. Here the principal irritant is quick in 

 its action and is active for only a short period of time. In pyometra the irri- 

 tation is continuous over a longer period of time. This condition obviously 

 produces more fibrosis. 



In one of the cases studied the most conspicuous alteration was the presence 

 of numerous small cysts in the uterine mucosa. This condition, may explain 



